Concrete Curing Room Construction

[vinu180]

Hi

I am trying to figure out a moist curing room, that somebody else designed for us. It has a pair atomizer spraying nozzle and an oil free air compressor and a heater. Now my problem is figuring out how to make them work together. Specs call for 95%+ humidity with 73+/-F temperature. Now, i can get the humidity in the room to 95%+ but the temperature is not dropping (stays at 85). Do i need some kind of cooling system? Manufacturer's spec on the atomizer nozzle says it is supposed to cool down the room temperature because of the latent heat of the vaporization. Am i missing some piece of the puzzle? please help.

Thanks in advance

 

[concretemasonry]

Is this for curing samples for testing or is it part of a process? I assume this is for cement based products.

The heat of hydration from the concrete will cause the temperature rise over ambient.

Just to give you idea of the amount of heat that can be generated - In a kiln for curing concrete block, the block may be in the kiln for 24 hours. Even using some fly ash (which retards strength gain) in the mix, the kiln temperatures can be 120 - 140 degrees even though doors are opened periodically to add "green" block and to remove cured block. Some plants will have supplemental heat to maintain a unform temperature at a higher level if aggregates vary in temperature. A similar situation applies in curing other concrete products although the block provide a greater mass per cubic foot of kiln, so the heat generated would be more.

A kiln for curing cylinders would not have as much gain because concrete cylinders are not places in the curing room until after at least 2 two days and some of the heat of hydration has already been generated.

Dick

 

[DarthSoilsGuy]

We controlled the heat of the water. lab tech was in charge of fiddling with the hot/cold water valves to keep the spinning thermometer gizmo at normal operating range. (a little cooler water when the room was full of cylinders making heat). i don't remember it requiring much tweeking, assuming people close the #@#@ door.

 

[civilperson]

Use 50(+/-) degree water as a source for atomizer spray and the room temperature will drop.

 

[njcadz]

we had a similiar problem. we opted to purchase a $400 chiller. Connect the lines to the mister lines. And it seems to be doing the job.

 

[Rjeffery]

American Cube Mold has a unit (model: ACM-MCP) that blends hot and cold (ambient temp) water together prior to injecting it into a moist room and allows automatic regulation of the temerature by a sensor inside the room.
(I have no affiation with ACM)
most moist rooms I have seen with heat pumps and misters do not have the reliability or the lack of maintenance issues that the ACM control panel has.
see:

http://www.americancubemold.com/page06.htm

Even with the ACM control panel, if your incomming water supply is over 70 degrees (f) then you may need a way to cool the water down.